A South African rhinoceros, once dead, can travel thousands of miles. Under some circumstances, its horn can trek to places as far away as Vietnam and China. Once there, it transforms into a product for spiritual medicine or a sign of wealth and class. Meanwhile, the rest of its body stays rotting in the grass, and its species inches closer to extinction.

In 2014, poachers killed a record number of the beasts for their horns, according to official numbers published by the South African government’s Department of Environmental Affairs. The number of rhinoceroses that were killed is triple that of four years ago, and the value of their horns by weight is now greater than that of gold. The complex spiritual roots of this illegal market make it difficult to pinpoint the source or perpetuating causes of it; thus, effective solutions increasingly require strong regulations and governmental commitment....

Harare - Poachers in Zimbabwe are targeting small rhino for their horns, a ranger said on Monday.

Two rhino calves were among the five black rhino killed by poachers in the south of the wildlife conservation region Save Valley Conservancy last year, Bryce Clemence of Anti-Poaching and Tracking Specialists (ATS) told Sapa....

Although most Americans will never encounter a wild rhino in their lifetimes, the United States has recognized the global threat posed by poaching, the profits of which have been shown to support criminal networks and militant groups throughout Africa. A year ago, the Obama administration announced a "National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking."

The strategy is laudable. It calls for a three-part approach: enhanced enforcement of anti-poaching laws, better international collaboration on the issue and efforts to reduce demand for wildlife products like rhino horn. Unfortunately, this month when the administration announced its implementation plan for the strategy, it undermined its own goals.

The implementation plan calls for the U.S. to devote hundreds of millions of dollars to policing wildlife poaching and trafficking, but it provides virtually no funds for reducing demand, not even in the United States, which has been assessed by some as the world's second-largest market for illegal wildlife products.

I'm an economist by training, and I can tell you, if common sense doesn't, that trying to restrict supply without restricting demand is likely only to drive up price. That's how we have spent trillions on drug enforcement with little to show for it....

This article about rhino and elephant poaching was taken from MyBroadBand.co.za. It talks about rhino and elephant poaching and being sent to Asia to make medicine. The main idea of this article is about how local and foreign rangers are using drones (UAV) and satellites to take down local poachers which are exploring near the fence and then coming back to poach them after sunset. Also how the rangers are figuring out the poachers' tracks of when they come, kill and then leave. They estimate around 6:30pm to 8:00pm are prime time for killing.

This article helps me understand that poaching is very common thing around the world, but most in Africa because they have a lot of wildlife. When I read this article it made me very sad because I saw this part where it said that approximately 3 rhinos are killed daily and an elephant is killed every 15 minutes(Worldwide). I think this is an excellent way to capture poachers, but I think it can also be improved.

Chances are a poor farmer in Africa does not care what we Americans think; his next meal is more important to him than racking his brain for an answer to a question of humanity. He needs sustenance, but more than that he needs an incentive. Tourism needs to somehow have a positive impact on his livelihood if we want the rhino to stay alive, if we want to stabilize the wealth of all these impoverished African nations.

This article is about two men stealing a really expensive rhino horn. They were smuggling the horn at Tambo Airport. The police suspected that they were taken at Kruger National Park at the South Africa's border. The police thinks that they stole about 18 horns. Fortunately, they were arrested.

When I read this article I thought it was horrible that they stole so many horns on lots of rhino's. I also was kind of mad because the just stole the horn from a national park and that the park should be more protected. But luckily, the two men were arrested.

This article is about two Vietnamese who were going to be appear in the Magistrate's court because of illegal possession and smuggling. They caught by the magistrate because of that. This artilcle made me to understand about Afirca more. The reason is, I didn't know that people want rhion's horn. I heared that there are some people caught by illegal possession of ivory, but this is the first time that I heard about rhino.

Fortunately, they can rely on one committed defender: eight-year-old Alyssa Carter.

"When I heard that rhinos were being killed, they were my favorite animals and I wanted to start this," says the elementary school pupil. Her campaign, Alyssa's Save the Rhinos, has raised thousands of dollars to protect her favorite animal -- South Africa's poacher-threatened rhinoceros -- and fund an innovative scheme aimed at tracking the hunters who would do them harm....

Two suspected rhino horn smugglers were arrested inside the Kruger National Park on Tuesday morning, the Hawks said. "[The Hawks] have arrested two suspects allegedly involved in the transportation of stolen vehicles across [the park], smuggling of rhino horns and explosives," said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi. A large sum of money was seized from the men, aged 36 and 39, who were thought to be part of a syndicate. Both men were out on bail for crimes in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. They would appear in the Phalaborwa Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. -Sapa

Seattle-based biotechnology startup that hopes to grow rhino horns in a laboratory says it has already produced a batch of rhino horn powder.

The first batch of powder was primarily protein-based and didn’t have any genetic components of a rhino, said Matthew Markus, a biologist and CEO of Pembient.

He took some of the chalky, greyish powder to Vietnam, a major consumer of rhino horns and its products, to see how regular users react to it. “I wanted to see whether or not (the powder) matched with what they were using for smell and texture … people were generally receptive.”...

Wildlife Margrit's insight:

Hmm! Could this be the long term solution to save the rhino from poachers? Moving on to elephants and even lions?

Would put a real damper on those who'd like to see the trading of rhino horn legalized.... not to mention lion breeders/canned hunting industry who sell lion bones!

Mozambique filed charges against a pair of international journalists in connection with an investigation into the poaching of rhinoceroses.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Batholomaeus Grill, a correspondent for the German weekly Der Spiegel, and Torbjoern Selander, a Swedish freelance photographer, were apprehended while reporting in the village of Mavodze on Feb. 16. Villagers accused to two of being spies, taking them to a police station where they were held for hours...

This article about elephant and rhino poaching was taken from BBC. This article talks about how poachers and smugglers sneak wildlife into Asian countries such as China, Vietnam and Thailand, etc.. This article also talks about how many Rhinoceros and Elephants die each year in the world(mainly Africa). The South African government say that poaching of Rhinos have reached 1,215 last year. Wildlife organisation say around 35,000 elephants are killed every year just for their tusks.

This article helps me understand that animal poaching is increasing rapidly and how much profit these poachers and smugglers are receiving. African countries and the world are losing these near-to-extinct animals. When I read this I felt hatred in my heart as well as sadness because animals are dying for only their horns and tusks while these heartless poachers are happy with their money. I wish they would find a better job than this, even though I know that this gives them quick money, there are better jobs out there.

South Africa said that it had moved around 100 rhinos to unspecified neighbouring states as part of efforts to stem the illicit slaughter of the animals for their horns. Home to around 80 per cent of the global rhino population, South Africa is at the epicentre of a poaching crisis. Government...

The Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has launched an internal investigation after the Board was presented with a letter mid-December outlining possible collusion between some staff members and poachers who have killed at least 17 critically endangered Kunene black rhinos since late 2012. The crisis at the SRT is, however, just part of a larger one in anti-poaching law enforcement and natural resource management in the so-called ‘Big Three’ communal conservancies - Palmwag, Abenab and Sesfontein - in Namibia's southern Kunene. By JOHN GROBLER.

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